Harmonica



June 18, 1935. w. R. sTEELE 2,005,443

HARMONICA Filed March 14, 1954 nnnnnnnnnnnnfff 23/0UDUDDDDDDDUUUIJDDUUDD Zw @59.4. Eg 2f 2/ /g ZZ f7 27A 40 Patented June 18, 1935 IT E D S T AT E S PATENT OFFICE Application March 14,

4 Claims.

mMly Vinvention relates to improvements in harmonicas and the main object is to provide a chromatic. harmonicav having a range of three full octavesand bywhich any note in the common 51or..key.,of C scale may be played either a half tone higher. or a half tone lower without changingthe .breathing Yaction or the hole through W'hlchthe breathis forced.

Another .object toprovide a chromatic harimonica as above including three reed plates arrangedon two notched sticks or frame members towhic'h air is .admitted through an apertured valve plate under-control of a notched sliding valve .in such manner that a reed on any reed 151.2 plate maybe sounded by manipulation of the slidingvalve to open the proper aperture in the valve plate,`all without moving the mouth over the harmonica orchanging the breathing.

YAnother object is Vto provide a novel, conven- 'l ient and practical slidingy valve and operating means in which `said valve is normally held in position to admit `air to the common scale reeds but. may be `moved to admit air to either the sharp or' flat reeds by manipulation of a small 251: flnger lever conveniently located at the end of the harmonica.

' Another object is to provide a chromatic harmonica having a novel arrangement of reed plates andr sticks. or frame members by which l the maximum vibrating space is provided for the reeds without undue bulk in the harmonica, this being earriedout by arranging the sticks in a V- shape meeting at their forward notched edges and'diverging toward their rear edges with one reed plate placed on top of the upper stick and the vother two on top and -on the bottom of the lower stick. i The upper stick is notched out to leave a bailies'hield between its notches and the lowerstick andthe notches in the lower stick arejust half the width of those in the upper stick whereby each reed is isolated .from the next.

' Afurther object is tov provide a harmonica of 'this kind in a simple, practical and inexpensive `form.

"Withithese and .other objects and advantages in View the: invention resides in the novel conn struction and arrangement of parts as hereinn after fully set forth and claimed, reference being .had 'to' the accompanying drawing wherein:

` Figure l is a front elevation of my harmonica. vFigure 2'is an enlarged cross section along the line 2--2 in'Figure 1.

"Figure 3 is a front elevation of the two sticks andreed .plates alone.

v"Figure 4 is a front elevation of the valve plate.

1934, Serial No. '715,407

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the sliding valve.

Figure 6 is a plan View partially broken away and in section.

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view also partially broken away and in section showing the valve operating nger lever.

Referring now with more particularity to the drawing and in carrying out my invention I provide a V-shaped frame made up of a pair of elongated rectangular wooden sticks or frame members I and 2 arranged one above the other with their forward margins 3 meeting and their rear margins 4 spaced apart resulting in what might be termed a V formation as shown. These sticks are of any desired length according to the range of the instrument and are held in the relationship shown by small support studs 5. The upper stick I has a plurality of spaced recesses or cells 6 out in its forward margin and opening therethrough and these recesses also open through the upper face of the stick but do not penetrate the lower face thus leaving thin baffle shields 'I intervening. The lower stick 2 has a pair of separate notches 3 and 9 in its forward edge in alignment with and below each upper cell 6, these notches 8 and 9 being therefore considerably narrower than said recesses and opening through both the upper and lower faces and the forward edge of the stick. An upper reed plate I0 is secured to the upper face of the upper stick with a pair of reeds II over each cell 5. A center reed plate I2 is mounted on the upper face of the lower stick 2 with a reed I3 over each notch 8 and 9 and a. lower reed plate I4 is mounted on the lower face of the lower stick also with a reed I5 in line with each notch 8 and 9. The reeds of the upper plate I0 are tuned to the key of C natural while the reeds I3 and I5 on the center and lower plates which register with notches 8 are tuned to B natural or one half tone lower and the reeds on these plates which register with the notches 9 are tuned to the key of C sharp or one half tone higher. Guard plates or covers I6 are secured by screws or tacks I'I on the exposed upper and lower faces of the sticks to protect the reeds in usual manner and the arrangement is preferably such that the free vibrating ends of the upper and lower reeds are turned forwardly and those of the center plate turned rearwardly, this giving the maximum vibrating space for the reeds as shown without increasing the bulk or size of the instrument.

The frontal margins of the sticks are cut off flush and straight as shown to receive a flat rec- Y nger lever 36 near its ends.

tangular valve plate I8 of thin sheet metal which is secured flat against these edges and has upper apertures or ports I9 registering medially with the upper recesses 6 and spaced pairs of lower apertures or ports 2l) and 2| registering each with one of the lower notches 8 and 9. These ports I9, 20 and 2| are preferably small and rectangular in shape as shown. A rectangular flat sliding valve 22 also of thin sheet metal is placed over the valve plate |8 and has aligned notches 23 and 24 along its upper and lower edges the spacing between which is equal to that of the upper ports I9 in said valve plate. A trough-like mouth piece 25 is placed over the valve plate and sliding valve, being secured in place at its ends by small tacks or screws 26 which pass'loosely through longitudinal slots 2 in the sliding valve and through apertures 28 in the valve plate into the upper stick The ends 29 of said mouth piece are formed or turned inwardly against the valve assembly and the right end is notched out at 3Q to clear the end 3i of the sliding valve 22 which is thus exposed as shown. The mouth piece has air openings 32 aligned with the notches 23 and 24 in the sliding valve to; admit air to the instrument as will be evident but no partitions are provided to direct the air to any particular opening. A mounting plate 33 is secured to the right end of the instrument by tacks 34 and has a medial ear 35 to which a nger lever 36 is fulcrumed medially at 31. One end 38 of said lever is reduced and rounded and passes through an aperture 39 in the exposed end 3| of the sliding valve 22 outwardly of which the valve is reduced and upset to form a knob 40. The other end of the lever has a similar knob 4| and by pressing either of these knobs 40 or 4| it will be evident that the lever will be swung back and forth on the ear 35 and the sliding valve 22 will be moved endwise to and fro across the valve plate 8. Inwardly 0f the mounting plate 33 a recess 42 is provided in the end of the instrument and spring pins 43 are passed slidably through the plate out into engagement with the Inwardly of said plate the pins 43 have diametrically enlarged heads 44 to limit their outward movement to the point that the lever will rest in a medial position as shown. A leaf or bow spring 45 is held at its center by a cross pin 46 through the recess 42 and bears at its ends against the heads 44 of the pins normally urging the pins outwardly to hold the lever in its medial position and returning it to that position after each operation.

The instrument is played in substantially the usual manner and in the rendition of any selection should tones one half tone higher or lower be desired, the finger lever 35 is operated by the fingers sliding the valve 22 across the valve plate I8 and bringing its lower notches 24 into registry with either of the series of ports 2D and 2|. Thus when the valve is moved to the left the notches 24 register with the ports 29 admitting air to notches 8 in the lower stick 2 and sounding the reeds on the center and lower reed plates |2 and |4 which, as aforesaid, are tuned to B natural. Movement of the valve to the right then cuts ofi? this alignment and opens the passage through notches 24, ports 2| and notches 9 to the center and lower reed plates |2 and |4 sounding the C sharp reeds thereon. Releasing the finger lever restores the notches 23 to registry with the upper ports I9 admitting air to the C natural upper reed plate |0. It is apparent that this action of the sliding valve is readily carried out without interfering with the playing of the instrument. Of course the two reeds on the plates |2 and I4 registering with each notch 3 and 9 are separately operated, or sounded, one by blowing and the other by drawing, these terms referring to the breathing.

It is understood that in accordance with the conventional construction of the reeds and reed plates of these instruments there are a pair of reeds registering with each cell and notch, one reed sounded by blowing through the instrument and the other by drawing through the instrument. These two reeds are tuned to adjacent tones or notes in the musical scale. Th-e two reeds on the center and lower plates l2 and I4 adjacent each of the notches 8 and 9 will thus be tuned a half tone lower or higher than the corresponding reeds above on the upper reed plate l0 so that the natural tone sounded by blowing through the instrument may be sounded also a half tone lower or higher without changing the breathing and by proper manipulation of the sliding valve. In other words, by blowing through the instrument any alternate tone or its sharp or flat may be sounded and by drawing the breath through the instrument the adjacent tones may be sounded either natural or its sharp or flat tones.

It is thought that further details of the utility and advantages of the instrument will be apparent to those skilled in th-e art without further description.

While I have herein set forth a certain preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that I may vary from theH same in minor structural details, so as best to construct a praccomprising a pair of sticks meeting at their for-` ward edges and diverging toward their rear edges,` the uppermost stick having cells cut in its for` ward margin and opening through its upper side,

the lower stick having a pair of notches cut in its forward edge below each cell in the upper stick, an upper reed plate secured on the upper stick over the cells therein,a center reed plate secure-d on the lower stick above the notches, and a lower reed plate secured on the underside of the lower stick below the notches, the said center and lower reed plates having their reeds communicating with the notches in the lower stick, and valve means for admitting air to any of the reed plates. y

2. In a device of the kind described, a frame comprising a pair of sticks meeting at their forward edges and diverging toward their rear edges, the uppermost stick having cells cut in its for` ward margin and opening through its upper side, the lower stickV having a pair of notches cut in its forward edge below each cell in the upper stick, an upper ree-d plate secured on the upper stick over the cells therein, a center reed plate secured on the lower stick above the notches, and a lower reed plate secured on the underside of the lower stick below the notches, the said center and lower reed plates having their reeds communicating with the notches in th-e lower stick, a flat valve plate mounted over the forward edges of the sticks and having ports registering with the cells and notches therein, a flat sli-ding valve slldably mounted over the valve plate and having spaced notches in its upper and lower edges adapted for selective registry with any of the ports on the valve plate.

3. In a device of the kind described, a frame comprising a pair of sticks meeting at their forward edges and diverging toward their rear edges, the uppermost stick having cells cut in its forward margin and opening through its upper side, the lower stick having a pair of notches cut in its forward edge below each cell in the upper stick, an upper reed plate secured on the upper stick over the cells therein, aI center reed plate secured on the lower stick above the notches, and a lower reed plate secured on the underside of the lower stick below the notches, the said center and lower reed plates having their reeds communicating with the notches in the lower stick, a at valve plate mounted over the forward edges of the sticks and having ports registering with the cells and notches therein, a Ilat sliding valve slidably mounted over the valve plate and having spaced notches in its upper and lower edges adapted for selective registry with any of the ports on the valve plate and a I'lnger lever fulcrumed at one end of the harmonica and connected at one end to the sliding valve, the said lever being spring set to normally hold the sliding valve in position to admit air to the cells and upper reed plate.

4. In a device of the kind described, a frame comprising a pair of sticks meeting at their forward edges, a troughlike apertured mouthpiece enclosing the frontal edge of the frame, the said sticks being notched at their frontal edges, a reed plate mounted on the upper sides of each of the sticks and one plate mounted below the said lower stick, and the said sticks diverging toward their rear ends whereby space is provided for the upper reed plate on the lower stick.

WALTER R. STEELE. 

